


Staring

by tutseti



Category: Naruto
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-28
Updated: 2012-05-28
Packaged: 2017-11-06 05:09:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/415058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tutseti/pseuds/tutseti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: Naruto notices Iruka constantly spacing out, lost in thought about his life and a certain jounin. Iruka thinks he's going to be celebrating his birthday alone...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Staring

**Author's Note:**

> ******originally posted on my livejournal in time for Iruka-sensei's birthday*******
> 
> Rating: PG-13 (because Iruka swears)  
> Word count: 3,432
> 
> Summary: Naruto notices Iruka constantly spacing out, lost in thought about his life and a certain jounin. Iruka thinks he's going to be celebrating his birthday alone...
> 
> Author's notes: I haven't written a fanfic of any kind since 2004/5 and this is my first attempt at Kakashi/Iruka. It's pure fluff in time for Iruka's birthday and can be set anywhere. I'm currently working on a more serious fic for these two. I'm finding my writing muse again, finally. 
> 
> Edit: A big thank you to epiceternity on the kakairu livejournal community for finding some errors that I had missed. ^____^

**Staring**  
by: tutseti  
  
  
"Hello?! Earth to Iruka-sensei!"  
  
The loud boisterous voice brought the chuunin out of the day dream that he hadn't realized he was having. He looked down to see a blonde bundle of energy clad in orange jumping around manically to get his attention.   
  
"Iruka-sensei, did you even hear a word of what I said?"  
  
"Anou..." A small blush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks and a nervous chuckle rumbled from his throat. An innocent grin tugged at his lips as a hand rubbed the back of his caramel colored neck. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun..." He hung his head low, his face hovering the now luke warm bowl of ramen in front of him.  
  
"You were thinking about Kakashi-sensei again, weren't you?"  
  
Indeed he had been. He did not know when it had started or even why, but it had none the less. He never really interacted much with Naruto's jounin instructor, and after their first meeting Iruka was almost positive that he detested him. And yet his thoughts were drifting towards that mysterious man more and more. He even found himself staring at him from time to time. He wanted to know more about him, what he was really like, and not what he had heard from others or what his file said. There had to be something underneath the underneath when it came to the infamous man of a thousand jutsu, Hatake Kakashi. It would only make sense...  
  
When Iruka had yet to respond to his question, Naruto sighed loudly. "Geez, Iruka-sensei! All you do is stare at him and space out lately. If you want to be his friend that badly, that's not how to do it."  
  
The Academy teacher quickly tried to wave off the idea his former student proposed. Friends? Did he really want to be comrades with the Copy-Nin? From what he had gathered, both from his own intel and what Naruto would provide openly and freely, the jounin was rather aloof and walked the fine line between being the kind of man you can't help but hang around because of his charisma and a complete and total jerk. Iruka hadn't decided which one he was yet, if he even fit into one entire category at all.  
  
"No, no, Naruto-kun. Even if I wanted to be, there's no way an elite jounin would want to be friends with an ordinary chuunin like me, and an instructor of pre-genin at that." He honestly did feel that way. If Naruto was right in his assertion, he was almost positive that the man would not even give him the time of day. That was how most jounin were, except some tokubestu jounin like Mitarashi Anko and Shiranui Genma. Then again, they were total gossips and the best way to get to the dirt was to be everyone's friend.   
  
"Bullshit!" Iruka shot Naruto a glare to watch his language while out in public, and the young ninja flushed a little. "I mean, you're wrong, Iruka-sensei! You're the most amazing person I know and Kakashi-sensei would be stupid not to want to be your friend. Not if I have a say about it!"  
  
It was pointless to try to argue with Naruto once he made up his mind about something, even if it did involve Iruka's personal life. He simply sighed and ordered them each another bowl of ramen and tried to enjoy the rest of his night out with his favorite former student.  
  
  
  
  
It had been another boring shift in the missions room. He had felt like a robot, running through the motions of reviewing reports, stamping them, and thanking each nin for their hard work. For whatever reason, he felt so disconnected today and he couldn't place it. Maybe it was because Naruto was out of the village, off training somewhere. He felt rather hallow, almost empty, especially today of all days.  
  
It was his birthday.  
  
His shift ended and he intended to head home for a quiet night of solitude. With Naruto gone, there was no reason to celebrate. He had no one to celebrate with. He felt so stupid that his life had become nothing more than teaching and the few instances he got to spend time with Naruto- which were becoming less and less frequent. He knew that this was a huge possibility that came with the shinobi lifestyle, but when he would see couples like Asuma and Kurenai, or even young budding flirtations like Shikamaru and Temari, he could not help but wish that for himself.   
  
Why had he not found love for himself by now? All the kunoichi would rave about how sweet and perfect he was constantly. Civilian women, mostly single mothers or relatives of students he taught, would openly flirt with him or give him gifts of affection. But Iruka, being too kind and oblivious to their affections and always remaining the professional that he was, would politely turn them down. That led many to question if he preferred the opposite sex. He would treat them the exact same way.   
  
He never had thought about where his attractions lay, though he was not as perfect and innocent in his younger, rebellious days. He had been a reckless, much more than Naruto had ever been. He had also experimented with his sexuality quite a bit, having a few partners of both genders, but at the time he wasn't truly concerning himself with such notions as love and compatibility. He didn't care about himself then and let himself be used because that meant someone had wanted him, even for a brief moment of time. It wasn't until the Third Hokage's words of wisdom made him find purpose and reevaluate his life did he become the Iruka everyone knows now.  
  
That perfect, harmless, innocent, but very plain chuunin. Now he didn't crave attention. He wanted a simple life and just to blend into the background. Even with his moments of loneliness, he did indeed enjoy his life now. He truly loved teaching those hell-raising brats because they were the next generation of shinobi, they needed to know that no matter what that the village would always love them for their sacrifice. Iruka would always love them for it.  
  
But who would love him? Who would love him with all his faults, to see past the smile and cheerful nature? He wondered how Kakashi would react to knowing about his past...  
  
"Yo."  
  
He was so lost in thought that he hadn't realized that he had walked straight home. He stopped on the last stair that led to his apartment to see the silver-hair jounin waiting at his door step. He had to blink and rub his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. How did he know where he lived? And why was he even there? There was a plastic bag at his feet with something large inside, but he couldn't make it out.  
  
"You really do have a staring problem." The tone of his voice had been light, yet held a bit of a teasing quality. Iruka's face turned bright red and he looked away, biting down on his bottom lip. First he had been thinking about the man, and now he's suddenly at his doorstep completely unannounced nor invited. Could things get any more awkward, he thought.  
  
"Anou... Kakashi-sensei," He composed himself only to hear a soft chuckle that was muffled by the other's mask. This caused the chuunin's brows to furrow in annoyance. "Is there something I can help you with?" He began to walk past him to his door, He fished out his keys and began unlocking the door.  
  
"Actually, I came here to see if I could help you." came a lazy drawl. Iruka turned to look at him a confused expression. It caused the older nin to laugh lightly. "Stop looking at me like that. When you blush or get angry is already cute enough, but this just takes the cake!"  
  
Iruka let out a sigh and glared at the jounin. Normally he would brush off such a comment and play his role as a lower ranked shinobi and allow the teasing, but this was at his own doorstep. He was not going to allow himself to be ridiculed in his own home, elite ninja or not. "If all you came here to do was ridicule me, do it behind my back like the other jounin and get off my property."  
  
He was sure he was seeing things. It was only for a brief instant, but he was almost positive that the other's lone grey eye flashed a look of genuine hurt and sadness. It was gone just as quickly, so Iruka was sure he misread it.  
  
"That's not why I came here, Iruka-sensei." he said. There was no apology that followed but the tone of his voice seemed to be saying that for him. He reached down and grabbed the bag. "You're a very hard man to shop for, which surprised me quite a great deal."  
  
What exactly was going on? The expression on his face was a mixture of surprise, bewilderment, confusion and trepidation. Kakashi sensed this and he smiled under his mask. His hand came to rest on Iruka's shoulder, patting it gently.   
  
"Kakashi-sensei...."   
  
"Hurry up and invite me in so that you can find out what's in the bag."  
  
Iruka opened the door and entered, holding it open for Kakashi to follow inside. Iruka's apartment was small but extremely homey. There were pictures on the walls, some being artwork from many of his students, others being a few pictures of his parents with him as a child, of him and the Sandaime, and of various landscapes. There were also a few scrolls hanging as well. These instantly intrigued Kakashi and he went up to them.  
  
"A gift from the Third Hokage and ones my parents used to use that I couldn't bare to part with." He said softly. He quickly removed his shoes before going into the kitchen to make tea for his new guest. He wasn't used to having many people over often, but having Kakashi in his home made his stomach turn in knots. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, it was actually quite the contrary. He felt anxious and he couldn't concentrate. He even dropped a mug, cursing loudly as it crashed against the ground.  
  
A soft laughter reached his ears and his face grew red. He quickly bent down to try to clean up his mess. "If Naruto were to hear you just then, he would be quite shocked. Especially since you always get on him for his own language." He looked up to see Kakashi in the doorway of his kitchen, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the frame.  
  
This caused Iruka to smirk. Not only did the jounin look incredibly cool in the pose, but he was about to test him, sharing information that no one knew. "I know, but he gets that mouth from me. I tend to get a bit lax in my home or when something really pisses me the fuck off, but never in public." There, now he knew that he had a bit of a foul mouth, no longer such the perfect little chuunin.  
  
"Maa, I had a feeling." That answer surprised Iruka greatly. He had expected some sort of reaction of disbelief but not that. He felt his stomach flip and tighten as the thought came to him that maybe, just maybe, Kakashi might be able to accept him for more than just what was on the surface.  
  
He blinked when he saw a hand being waved in front of his face. He had drifted again, and with the actual person in his home none the less. He cursed his stupidity under his breath, only to feel a hand on the top of his head. It was starting to softly stroke his hair. He blinked and looked up only see that the other was crouched down at his level.  
  
"You look like you've had a long day." His voice was soft and wrapped Iruka with a warm comfort he had never felt before, something he never thought possible from the other. "Go rest on the couch and I'll play host."  
  
"But Kakashi-sensei, this is my home. I'm supposed to--"  
  
"It's your birthday, so let me do this for you."  
  
His birthday... Kakashi knew that it was his birthday?! How did he know? Was that why he was there at his door? He was waiting for him to come home to celebrate his birthday... The wishful idea filled him with such emotion he could feel tears welling up in his eyes but he fought them back. Slowly he got up to his feet and made his way to his living room, taking a seat on his couch. He saw the bag Kakashi brought sitting on the coffee table. He wondered what was in it, now that he knew why the other was there. He was about to reach over to look inside when he heard the other's voice call out to him.  
  
"No peaking. Maa, you're almost as bad as Naruto. Now I know where he gets it from."  
  
Soon Kakashi came into the room with two cups of tea, two plates and silverware. He set everything down on the table before reaching into the bag. He pulled out a large square box that had another smaller one on top of it. He handed Iruka the smaller one then opened the larger one. It contained a round cake covered in a white whipped cream frosting and various fruits that included strawberries, kiwis, and mangos. Iruka had to force himself to stop drooling at the delicious sight.  
  
"Naruto was upset that he couldn't be here for your birthday, so that small gift is from him." Kakashi said as he cut into the cake and served Iruka a slice.   
  
The chuunin looked down at the item in his hands and quickly tore it open. He felt tears coming down his face, so happy that his favorite little monster had not forgotten his birthday, no matter how busy he got. Inside the box was a small pencil holder with a dolphin motif etched into it. No matter how many times he told the boy how much he did not like getting dolphin themed items, he couldn't be mad at Naruto. He honestly loved everything the boy ever picked out for him. It was the thought that mattered and what Iruka treasured the most.  
  
A wave of sadness hit him as he looked over at Kakashi, who was in turn watching him a strange curiosity. He quickly wiped his eyes, realizing that he had been crying. He forced a smile and set the gift down. "Kakashi-sensei, thank you for   
bringing this over, but you could have just left it at my door. I'm sorry if Naruto asked you to keep me company, but you don't need to stay if it's a bother."  
  
He could have sworn that he saw that hurt look in the other's eye once more. Again it was gone before he could fully register it. "Maa, I'm not babysitting you if that's what you think." came the reply. "Naruto insisting that you get this and I tell him your exact reaction was just the excuse I needed to come see you."  
  
Iruka was confused once more. Just what exactly was happening? He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. Naruto must have said something to Kakashi about Iruka wanting his friendship. That had to bewhy Kakashi was here, it was the only rational reason he could think of that made sense.  
  
"Naruto-kun must have said something to you. I apologize, Kakashi-sensei. Once he gets an idea stuck in his head, there's no convincing him otherwise. I don't want him to force you into a friendship with me just because he insists. You're a jounin and I'm a chuunin, an academy teacher on top of that. And we didn't leave the best first impressions on each other during the chuunin exam, so I can understand if you don't want to even be comrades and..."   
  
He didn't even know what he was saying anymore. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of his own thoughts as everything came crashing down on him. He couldn't be too mad at the boy, he had meant well, but Iruka did not like anyonr meddling in his personal affairs. And it was Hatake Kakashi on top of it. He felt so embarrassed that he honesty wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere and die. The man was being polite now because he was a guest in Iruka's home, but he knew things would be awkward from now on, especially once Naruto came back and began asking questions.  
  
There was silence for a few moments. There was a thick tension in the air and it made the chuunin quite uncomfortable. He looked down and grabbed the slice of cake, deciding to focus on that as best as he could because he couldn't dare look at Kakashi. He felt that grey eye on him, examining every inch of him. It felt as if it were trying to look into the very window of his soul. Iruka swallowed hard and quickly shoved a fork full of cake into his mouth.  
  
"Maa, you're right." Iruka looked up to see just what he had felt. Kakashi was indeed staring at him rather intensely. He looked to be deep in thought, or perhaps formulating what he was about to say very carefully. "Naruto did say something to me. Told me about how he would catch you watching me, and I caught it too from time to time. He talks so much about you, how he idolizes you. He puts you on this pedestal that you're right, I couldn't possibly want to be friends with you."  
  
Iruka looked absolutely crushed, but he tried to hide it as much as possible. He sighed and started to move to get up. He felt a hand reach out to grab him, to keep him from leaving. He looked over at Kakashi, unsure about what was happening. He was just rejected by the man and yet he was holding onto his wrist with a silent plea to not leave. Why exactly was Kakashi here?  
  
"I told you that you are a very hard person to shop for, but I'm glad Naruto's not around right now. If he were, I never would be able to give you your present."   
  
"My present?" Iruka blinked rapidly in utter disbelief. He gave up trying to make logical sense about what was going on around him.  
  
"Yes, your present. I hope you will accept it with all your heart just as much as you did with Naruto's. Now close your eyes."  
  
Iruka let his eyes slip shut. He felt Kakashi move the plate from his hand, hearing it placed on the coffee table once more. The fingers on his wrist slipped down to wrap around his own. He felt Kakashi move closer to him. There was a soft rustle of fabric and warm air dancing across his skin. His nose was invaded with the scent of Earth, dirt, wood, and oddly enough a hint of dog and sandalwood. He then felt something warm and soft on his lips. It was the most wonderful feeling, shooting tiny bolts of electricity down his spine. He was so surprised and confused, curious about what was causing this amazing sensation and it took all his will power to keep his eyes shut. He could hear Kakashi's voice in the back of his mind chastising him for peaking.  
  
That velvet warmth lingered on his lips before slowly pulling away. Iruka felt a mixture of dizziness, being winded and pure excitement stir inside of him. He had never felt anything like this before and he could no longer be patient. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. Seated in front of him, just mere inches away, was a man with the most beautifully angular jaw line. His nose was straight and sharp. It took everything Iruka had to not reach up and draw his finger down the bridge. Thin lips looked slightly red, kiss swollen even. Then it hit Iruka just what, no, who he was staring at and what had just happened. He felt his skin become burning hot and the color flush a deep shade of red.  
  
Those handsome lips formed into the best smile he had ever seen in his entire life. "Happy Birthday, Iruka."


End file.
